OUR MAZDA BT50 SET-UP

THE RIG - 2017 MAZDA BT50 GT

As you scroll down, we’ll run through the gear fitted to our Mazda and a few specs.

We have had a BT50 for 7 years now. Our first one a 2012 XTR and our current set-up is the 2017 GT. For touring Oz full time they are a great option. They are capable offroad, comfortable on road and have plenty of power to pull a caravan. We have had many years of trouble free touring from our BT50 setups.

For me, they are the best looking bar on the market, and let’s be honest everyone wants the front of their rig looking schmick but….. They also include a lot of cool design features that you might not think of when researching a bulbar for your vehicle.

They are winch compatible & designed to take heavy recovery loads.

2 CB aerial brackets on the top bar allows you to run different accessories. Our bar has a UHF antenna and a Cel-Fi Go Mobile booster antenna fitted.

The split front design allows massive airflow through to the radiator and also allows easy access to the winch clutch.

There is a lot of choice in the winch market, especially with all the cheap import garbage thats out these days….. But if you want a reliable winch that you can use time and time again on your travels around Oz, it’s worth looking into a more reputable brand.

As the saying goes,” You Get What You Pay For”……

Teaching Bec how to run the winch out in Tasmania… Have you done the Bridport to Bellingham 4wd track?? It’s a great day trip - YOU CAN WATCH HERE!!

SUSPENSION

We have always had Old Man Emu suspension in our vehicles until very recently. With the addition of the new canopy setup which adds a fair bit of weight, we had to install a GVM/GCM upgrade to the vehicle. The only approved and legal kit that can do this is from Lovells suspension. This kit is a 2” lift with heavy duty springs that increases the GVM to 3500kg and the GCM to 7000kg.

Check your own states regulations on GCM upgrades as they can be different…

UNDERBODY PROTECTION

We run the ARB under vehicle armour. We fitted it ourselves and it provides the vital organs of your vehicle a heap more protection the the standard gear from the factory.

You c an check out the install video below…

We have just fitted up the ARB4x4 recovery point and under vehicle protection. Only a few hours work and it comes up SCHMICK!! Now we have a rated recovery point for winch recoveries and some extra protection for the sumps and transfer case. $321 for the recovery point & $635 for the UVP.

The New addition for 2019 is an Alloy Canopy from Norweld Australia. Keep reading below to find out more info in specs and details on the build.

WHEELS & TYRES

We have CSA Raptor alloy wheels fitted. We have had them on both our vehicles whilst on our travels and we are very impressed.

We always fit COOPER TYRES to our vehicles. The performance and reliability we have had from these tyres is astounding. We are running a set of ST/MAXX 285/70/17's. They are slightly bigger than standard and fit great with the 2 inch suspension lift.

TOWING ACCESSORIES

CLEAR VIEW TOWING MIRRORS - These are a great accessory for us while towing a caravan. The vision they give behind your vehicle is amazing. They are definitely the best product on the market for safe towing mirrors.

REDARC TOWPRO BRAKE CONTROLLER - A remote mounted head unit sits in behind our glove box with the user adjustable dial mounted in an easy to reach place on the dash. A brake controller is a must when towing a big van and the tow pro works a treat. It has a great setting for inertia controlled braking which means - The harder you pull up, the more braking your trailer will do.

THE HAYMAN REESE X-BAR - We swapped out the original tow bar when we fitted the new Norweld Canopy. The X-Bar is a serious bit of gear with some great features!!

The bar comes straight out of the chassis so it sits much higher which increases your departure angle when 4wding.

It has 3 forged and rated recovery points. The centre one rated to 8 tonne and the 2 outers are 4 tonne.

THE NORWELD DELUXE PACKAGE

HERE SHE IS!! Our new setup ready to roll for 2019!! In this vid I'll walk you through our new Canopy and how we've decked her out!! What a freaking awesome way to finish the year!!!! 2018 has been unbloody real for us and it's looking like 2019 is gonna be even better!!

Let's have a look at how this canopy is built and how we fitted her up down at Norweld in Melbourne. I'll show you a bit more about the design & say G'day to the blokes from Norweld Australia and Pro Touring Concepts, they are great fella's and do some insane work!!

ROOF RACK AND AWNING

On top of the dual cab is the RhinoRack Tradie Platform. They are a lightweight alloy platform that allows us to mount a wide range of gear up there. Our rack mounts a shovel holder and TredPro recovery boards and also our ARB double Swags for when we go camping. The Norweld canopy also has a multirack which mounts a RhinoRack Batwing awning on the passenger side. These are a 270degree awning that swing right around the back of the vehicle providing a lot more shade and rain protection. Having a roof platform is a great addition for carrying extra accessories and gear without taking up valuable storage space inside your vehicle.

Storage is king when your full-time travelling

THE RHINORACK BATWING AWNING

RECOVERY GEAR

We carry an ARB Premium Recovery Kit which has all the gear we need for winch recoveries and up on top we carry a set of ARB TredPro Recovery Boards.

OUR OLD RIG

Our rig previous rig was a 2012 Mazda BT50 XTR dual cab ute.

It has a 2 inch Old Man Emu lift kit fitted from ARB and we run Cooper S/Tmaxx tyres 275/70/17. Its the second set of Cooper Tyres we have fitted. First set was the AT/3's and got 95000km of trouble free touring with not a single puncture, and can't speak highly enough of the quality and mileage you get from this brand. A few extras include a snorkel, a 3 inch performance exhaust and a high flow unifilter air filter. The Bullbar is factory fitted, as are the lightforce spotlights and 80 channel UHF radio.

We have a Flexiglass canopy fitted on the back which has been great. We installed an internal frame to it, so the rhino rack could be mounted on top to handle some extra gear and to mount the awning for those trips up the beach.

A DIY custom set of drawers in the tub handles most of the storage and also houses the dual battery setup which consists of a CTEK dc-dc charger and a 120ah agm deep cycle battery. A good solid fridge slide and an Engel 60lt combi finishes off the setup.

Trip in a Van reviews the IDRIVE unit on the new 2017 BT50 GT. We test it over all different conditions and it comes up Sweet!! What a great bit of gear to make your vehicle more responsive and better to drive!!

We love the setup and the Mazda! For a Great value Touring vehicle for the family we think its the best choice on the market. Its great on fuel, loves towing the big van, and is really great off road. Currently averaging 17L/100km towing the van over 40,000km. Any questions send them through, we are happy to pass on any knowledge.